Category: Reflections

  • Untitled: F Diminished

    Untitled: F Diminished

    Clearing My Throat “Quite honestly, they seem to have been quite a different breed of men. In those days people seem to have been animated by one idea, but now they are much more nervous, more developed, more sensitive – they seem to be animated by two or three ideas at a time – modern…

  • Under the Paschal Light pt. iii

    Under the Paschal Light pt. iii

    The Light, Calling from the Dark Part i Part ii Liturgy brings people together where each participates in a mutual self-offering, every joy and sorrow of the week recapitulated in the eternal self-giving of Christ, caught up in His Cross and Resurrection—eros and agape—glorifying Him glorified, and partaking of His glory by the Mysteries of…

  • Under the Paschal Light pt. ii

    Under the Paschal Light pt. ii

    The Anti-Liturgy of Pessimism Last week we looked at philosophical pessimism in the West and how its assumptions infiltrate and shape the social imaginary, a term used by philosopher Charles Taylor to describe deep-seated intuitions of a people embedded within their culture. While philosophical pessimism remains a niche worldview, its presuppositions have broadly permeated the…

  • Under the Paschal Light

    Under the Paschal Light

    Revolt: In Light of the Resurrection “So many today ask themselves: how can a physical man become a spiritual man? How can a sinner become a righteous one? How can the grace of God teach a man to supersede human reason and human will? How can the Holy Spirit illuminate the heart of man? How…

  • The Heart of Our Hope

    The Heart of Our Hope

    Lazarus Saturday; Palm Sunday Epistles: Heb. 12:28-29; 13:1-8 — Phil. 4:4-9 Gospels: Jn. 11:1-45 — Jn. 12:1-18 The raising of Lazarus is the Gospel in miniature. It reveals Christ coming us, rolling away the stone covering our hearts—our nous—calling us to life, to become children of God (cf. Jn. 1:12). This event prefigures His Resurrection,…

  • Against Algorithms

    Against Algorithms

    The Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14 Gospel Mark 10:32-45 St. Anthony once told his disciples, Live as though you were not of this world, and you will have peace. His poignant words echo today, confronting a culture that roots identity in the shifting sands of the digital world and societal performance.…

  • Meaning in Virtue

    Meaning in Virtue

    The Sunday of St. John of the Ladder “Above nature are chastity, freedom from anger, humility, prayer, vigil, fasting, constant compunction. Some of them men teach us, others angels, and of others the Teacher and Giver is God the Word Himself” – St. John Climacus, the Ladder My Theories of Religion course had us analyze…

  • Crossing the “I”

    Crossing the “I”

    The Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross Epistle—Hebrews 4:14-16; 5:1-6 Gospel—Mark 8: 34-38; 9:1 In addition to the Gospel readings for the Lenten Fast, I have been reflecting on the Gospel of St. John. This week’s Gospel passages naturally intersect with those reflections. After a weeklong break from screens, as a form of…

  • Reaching Out into Infinity

    Reaching Out into Infinity

    Trading enlightenment for illumination “And Jesus, having seen their faith, saith to the paralytic, ‘Child, thy sins have been forgiven thee” (The Gospel According to St. Mark 2:5). Epistle — Heb. 1:10-14;2:1-3 Gospel — Mk. 2:1-12 St. Gregory Palamas lived in the 14th century and was one of the last witnesses of Christ before the…